A mold insert includes a plurality of microstructures along a surface of the mold insert and a metal alloy, wherein the metal alloy has a thermal conductivity between 1 and 50 W/m-K. and wherein the metal alloy has a modulus of between 100 GPa and 1000 GPa.

A method for production of molded parts, in particular parts consisting of a fiber composite material, is illustrated and described. In order to reduce the load on the membrane, the membrane according to the invention can be slipped past the seal and the membrane can at least in part be slipped past the seal as a result of the expansion force.

A method of forming a polymer is disclosed. The method comprises: positioning a mould in relation to a bath containing a molten material to form a mould cavity between the mould and the molten material; adding a monomer within the mould cavity; and curing the monomer to form a polymer.

A calendering apparatus is provided for the mechanical compacting of an electrode, in particular of a flat form. The calendering apparatus includes a compacting device and a guide roller. The guide roller is configured to feed the electrode to the compacting device during the operation of the calendering apparatus. The guide roller has first regions and second regions in certain parts of its rolling surface, and the first and second regions have different thermal conductivities.

A multi-material mold and a method of constructing a multi-material mold for injection molding using additive manufacturing comprises defining a structure of the mold; and defining at least two sub-regions, associating the sub-regions with respective specific materials and printing the sub-regions with the specific material. The sub-regions may include an internal sub-region that allows dissipation of heat accumulating during use of the mold, where the specific material is heat conductive; an embedded heat sink sub-region for conducting heat away from the internal sub-region allowing dissipation, where the specific material is relatively non-conductive mold material embedded with lines or layers of relatively heat-conductive material; a sub-region resistant to abrasion, where the specific material is an abrasion-resistant polymer; a sub-region resistant to breaking under process conditions, where the specific material is a high toughness and high Tg polymer or a digital material and a sub-region of flexible material for sealing and releasing.

A method and apparatus for manufacturing composite components. A tool is present for use in manufacturing composite components. The tool comprises an encapsulation layer having a shape, an insulation layer on the encapsulation layer, and an isolation layer on the insulation layer. The isolation layer has an outer surface capable of contacting a composite material laid up on the outer surface. The insulation layer is capable of insulating the encapsulation layer from heat applied to the composite material. The encapsulation layer is capable of maintaining a shape with the composite material laid up on the isolation layer during a curing process to form a composite component from the composite material.

A multi-part mold formed from a shell mold and a mold base provides efficiency in a manufacturing process. The shell mold may be formed on a positive mold article. The positive mold article may be formed from a rapid manufacturing process. The shell mold may then be formed on a surface of the positive mold article through a coating process that builds a relatively thin coating that results in a mold surface for molding an object represented, at least in part, by the positive mold article. The shell mold is then joined with a mold base effective to support the shell mold for the molding operation.

The present disclosure relates to a tool such as an injection molding tool or an embossing tool. A heating device including a stack of layers is provided for heating a tool surface. The stack may include a coil carrier layer with a number of wound coils for generating a magnetic field, and a conductive top layer, being adjacent to the tool surface currents are induced in the top layer to heat the surface. Efficient heating may be provided by solutions involving low resistivity layers that lead currents to the top layer without themselves developing heat to any greater extent. A conduction frame device can be provided beneath the top layer and around the perimeter thereof to provide reliable contact with a backing layer. A thermal resistance layer may placed between the intermediate layer and the top layer, and may comprise a heat resistive plastic material such as a polyimide.

Polymer-based molds are described. The polymer-based mold includes a first portion comprising a first material having a glass transition temperature (Tg) lower than about 80 C.; and a second portion comprising a second material having a Tg higher than about 80 C., wherein the second portion at least partially covers the first portion, the second portion is thinner than the first portion and faces a cavity in the polymeric mold.

A mold for molding an object having a section of increased thickness includes a mold cavity comprising a first zone and a second zone and a means for providing a different thermal conductivity at the first and second zone of the mold cavity.